1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for managing the amount of use of equipment, such as the number of copies produced in a copying machine or the number of times communication is performed by facsimile equipment, using a recording medium storing predetermined data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional apparatus of the type described above, mechanical counters (so-called key counters) assigned to respective sections are provided in a means for managing, for instance, the number of copies produced for use in each section. When an operator uses the copying machine, he couples the counter of his section to the machine so as to enable the copying machine. Thus, the number of copies produced in each operation is registered into the counter.
However, when a manager wishes to determine the total number of copies produced by the copying machine, he must physically travel to all the sections and confirm the number of copies made by each section, since each of the counters indicating the associated number of copies is independently kept in an associated section. The labor and effort for this are considerable. In addition, since the counters themselves are relatively expensive, the above apparatus results in an expensive system when the number of sections is large. The apparatus is also difficult to handle due to its heavy weight and specific shape.
In view of this problem, another conventional apparatus has also been proposed. In this apparatus, a section card recording data identifying a section is coupled to enable a copying machine. A memory is provided in the copying machine to store the number of copies produced by each section. When a manager wants to determine the total number of copies produced by the machine and the number of copies produced by each section, he inserts a specific card recording a predetermined function card into the machine to check them.
As a specific application of this type of management apparatus, an optical sensor is used to read, for example, section code data from an optical card having a clock hole and a data hole, and to enable a copying machine. In such an apparatus, when the card is pulled out halfway while it is inserted into the apparatus, data may be read erroneously. In order to prevent this, an additional sensor must be provided to detect that the card is completely inserted into the apparatus. This results in a complex and expensive apparatus.
In addition, in this type of apparatus, the section code is read when the card is inserted. Therefore, if a card has been inserted when the power is turned off, the section code of the inserted card cannot be identified and the user must re-insert the card after power is turned on. When the card must be re-inserted, the apparatus simply provides an alarm, and the user may not be able to determine what must be done.
In such an apparatus, the number of copies produced by each section, the total number of copies produced, and the unit price of a copy previously set are stored. The number of copies produced by each section and the total number of copies produced by the machine, and the corresponding cost or amount of money are sequentially displayed or printed.
When a unit price of a copy is set, the unit price of a copy is normally 5 to 50 yen and the unit of sequential display is 0.5 yen, providing an incremental display within a range of 0.50 to 50.0. Considering this in terms of dollars, when the rate is assumed to be $1=240 yen, an incremental display within a range of 0.02 to 0.21 must be provided. When the franc rate is considered to be F1=30 yen, an incremental display within a range of 0.01 to 1.70 must be provided. In other words, at least four digits are required for setting a unit price for copies. In a conventional 4-digit setting means, a rotary switch is provided for each digit, and each digit is set by the position of the rotary switch. If the four rotary switches must be provided at positions easily accessible to the operator, the apparatus becomes expensive and its installation location is limited. Moreover, since anybody other than the person responsible for management of the machine can set or change the unit price, the person responsible for management of the machine may count the total number of copies produced and the like without knowing that the unit price has been erroneously set by somebody else.
In some cases, the number of copies which can be produced for use in a specific section of a company within a given period of time must be limited, or the use of the machine itself by some sections may have to be prohibited. This must be manageable by a person responsible for management thereof. In order to allow him to do so, still another card for allowing him to limit or prohibit the use of the copying machine by a given section is required, thus increasing the total number of cards in an overall system.
In some apparatus of this type, the unit price of copies and other data must be stored in addition to the number of copies produced.
In such a case, when the person responsible for management clears the data of the number of copies, he must clear all the data contents in the memory or clear the data for each section one by one. This results in poor operability and may also result in accidental erasure of data which is actually wanted.
According to a technique used in this type of apparatus, when the person responsible for management wants to determine the number of copies and the like, he inserts a special card into the machine or keys in ID data or the like to cause a display unit to display the desired data. However, once the display unit starts to display of the number of copies produced of each section, for example, the copying machine can not be used for a copying operation until all the data has been displayed.
In some cases, data such as the unit price of copies, total amount of money spent for copying in each section, and the total amount of money for copying spent by all sections must be managed. In such a case, if special displays for this purpose are included in the machine, the machine becomes expensive again.
It is also known to provide a back-up battery in order to allow a memory (RAM) to hold data even when the power is turned off. In this case, the battery voltage is monitored. When the monitored voltage becomes lower than a back-up voltage, this is signalled to the user in order to prevent loss of data.
When the battery voltage is monitored, a comparator is used to compare the battery voltage with a reference voltage. However, this results in flow of a source current, thereby shortening the life of a battery.
An apparatus of the type described above is cost-effective when the total number of sections which use a single copying machine is large. However, when the total number of sections is small, a method of using mechanical counters results in less cost. In view of this, there is a strong demand for key counters.
Copying machines are normally designated exclusively either for coupling with counters or for receiving cards. Thus, if a counter is to be coupled to a machine which only receives cards or vice versa, a special cable must be used. This results in complex and costly installation.